UAE residents can look forward to a future of mobile payments, in which they will be able to use their mobile phones for dozens of transactions large and small.

UAE residents can look forward to a future of mobile payments, in which they will be able to use their mobile phones for dozens of transactions large and small - such as bill payment, Salik credit, and many other products and services. That's the prediction of leading UAE telco Etisalat, which will be bringing these mobile payment systems to its users in the very near future and is talking up such technologies at the show this week.

"As part of our Mobile Commerce strategy, Etisalat is focusing on a number of payment options over the mobile phone, which will enable our customers to use their phones as an electronic wallet," explains Khalifa Al Shamsi, the vice president for marketing, consumer and SMB at Etisalat.

"We have already introduced the mobile payment system for paying Etisalat bills and recharging and renewing Wasel prepaid credit, and have demonstrated in the past technology that allows customers to use their mobile phone to make purchases from a vending machine," he adds.

Etisalat will be using GITEX Technology Week to liase with vendors, users and other IT and communications specialists as it promotes and refines the mobile payment technology. The telco has long been at the forefront of communications technology, and the new m-commerce initiative will put it ahead of operators from Europe and the US in terms of the services it offers to its customers.

Another major element of Etisalat's programme to implement the latest technology for its customers has seen the telco now complete the first stage of its Next-Generation Network (NGN) - a network that transmits voice, data and video using Internet Protocol (IP), making it much more efficient than separate pipes for each.

"The core was completed one year ago - now we are working on the access technologies. Today, in all of the Emirates, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi we are deploying fibre to the home. In Abu Dhabi we will phase out our first switch in the next two months - 27,000 customers will be moved to IP," explains Mohammad Al Qamzi, the CEO of Etisalat.